1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to cigar humidors in general and, in particular, to a cigar humidor having two sections which when mated form a box or cube shape and which sections are vertical hinged together along one corner for opening the humidor by spreading the two sections apart and wherein cigars are vertically positioned in a cigar support therein and exposed to humidified air traveling upward from a humidifier device positioned at the bottom of the humidor.
2. Description of Related Art
Cigar humidors are essentially sealed storage containers which attempt to maintain a more-or-less constant humidity to the environment in which the cigars are stored and isolated from the environment outside the storage container which often changes with temperature and season. Ideally, such humidors maintain the relative humidity in the range of about 65 to 75 percent. In order to control such humidity, there may be placed within the humidor a water or moisture-containing device which releases water vapor within the container from the top of the container. Such humidors also have wood lining, such as cedar, which impart an aroma or flavor to the cigars. Exemplary humidors are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,008,930, 4,534,369, 5,011,009 and 5,607,051, as well as U.S. Design Pat. No. 372,138.
Cigars are usually stacked several layers high on their sides within a humidor and the environment which each individual cigar sees is typically not uniform, i.e., only those cigars directly adjacent the side and upper walls of the humidor will receive the benefits of the moisture and wood aroma. In order to promote uniformity of circulation of moist air within the humidor, there has been proposed liners or separators having grooves or openings therein to increase the surface area of the liner and to increase the circulation of air within the humidor. While such liners and separators work satisfactorily, the humidification of cigars in such humidors is not very effective.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cigar humidor which effectively and uniformly humidifies all the cigars stored in the humidor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cigar humidor in which the cigars are stored vertically and wherein an end of the cigar, preferably the end to be lit, is directly exposed to humidified air traveling upward in the humidor.
A further object of the invention is to provide a cigar humidor wherein the cigars may be stored vertically and effectively and uniformly humidified and wherein the cigar humidor may be easily opened for access to the cigars and/or to add water to a humidifying device within the humidor.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for humidifying cigars in a cigar humidor.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.